Architect Frank Gehry is to design a skyscraper for the German city of Berlin which is set to become its tallest building.

In a design competition Gehry Partners saw off eight other shortlisted firms, including Adjaye Associates and David Chipperfield Architects, to land the commission to design the 150m residential tower for real estate firm Hines.

The building is conceived as a cluster of distorted cube shapes that have been rotated away from one another.

Three hundred apartments and a hotel will be located within the building, while the exterior will be clad with stone.

“Gehry’s design is strong in visual expression and introduces an unusually eccentric, new pattern for this location. Nevertheless, the facade radiates agreeable tranquility,” said Regula Lüscher, director of the city’s urban development department and one of the competition judges.

“The design blends well with the neighbourhood and conveys all aspects of metropolitan living.”

Christop Reschke, of Hines, said the unusual design reflected the importance of the area of the city in which it would be constructed.